I don't know about you guys, but the majority of my clients were women, who's hubbies I never dealt with, except that they signed the checks. Some I never met, but most "guys" like to screw with the clock after coming home and killing a couple of drinks. The next day, or so, wife would call and I'd come over and zero and re-program the clock. More than a few had their own checking account and paid me so "the big guy" would never know. Lockable enclosures helped, but getting into Hardie "Touch Command" clocks pretty much put a end to hubby and his hobby.

Hi guys, been awhile. Wanted to weigh in on this because it needs more information for guys not so sure about the application of these SWT controllers.

I've installed both the Hunter Pro-C with Solar Sync and the Irritrol (Toro) Climate Logic.
Others I've used in the last couple of years are Toro's Intellisense and SmartDial (same thing) and the Weathermatic with SLW20.

The Intellisense can be set up to obtain daily ET data from Satellite (small subscription fee.
Also set up a few RainBird ESP SMT systems and found them to need allot of monitoring and checking to make sure the programming was correct. You can mistakenly double or
'ghost' program them in the advanced mode.
Although they do give you a nice display of current data and ET values with a history. And, you can save your contractor program settings to reset it later when the owner fouls it up, as they most certainly will do.

The really neat thing about Climate Logic is it downloads 10 years of ET and Weather data based on that area's microclimate into the Climate Logic module from a chip. You can also synchronize several Climate Logics to the same sensor within 1000 feet to run multiple controllers (Cost Savings).

I mount the sensors on a fence or other spot (yes, even a rain gutter) in 'full sun'. The key to these controllers is checking the results over a few weeks time and monitoring carefully that they are doing what you want them to do.
I have to say that 'Climate Logic' is the most follow-up free one I've used with established plants and fairly good irrigation systems. Even across different Sunset Western climate zones (9 and 14).
It also matters as to how efficient the watering system is that one is using with the selected controller. When designing and installing new irrigation systems, that eliminates inefficiency and these controllers work even better, of course!
There could be a wrench in the whole thing with gross inefficiency if the irrigation system is old or not maintained. I fortunately haven't had any irrecoverable problems, and a only a few power outtages.

1) How will a power outage effect the Climate Logic? Does it have an NV memory?

2) Instructions told me to assign all zones to program A, though scrolling through the CL menu it wants to know if I want it to cover Pgm. A, A+B, or A+B+C... so how does that work?

Typically I assign lawns to A, shrubs and groundcover to B, and either annual beds or a drip system or whatever else is going on to C.

A usually gets a start time between 2AM and 6AM, but B or C could start as early as 9PM, and run fewer days per week. And newly planted annuals might get a short run mornings and afternoons, depending on the time of year.

Since Climate Logic doesn't ask me to put in all the parameters like the ESP-SMT does, then how does it know which zones need more water besides the peak watering time I program in for say July?

Ahhh... pg. 13 of the manual... I CAN assign all three programs if I want to. It defaults to A, but I can add in the others I guess that means if I want Pgm. C to run independent of the CL override I can do that too.

So, digging deeper into the manual for the Climate Logic, I can't seem to find a way to distinguish between water needs of different kinds of plants, or fine tune different zones. No factoring in of a crop coefficient, sun exposure (though the sensor gets mounted in full sun), slope, soil type, etc.

I have no idea whether programming different start times and water days in Pgm B or C in the Total Control will be completely overidden by this device or not. I have no way of knowing which days it will water... there is a menu for Water Restriction setup, which is supposed to allow limiting to "a specific daily time period", but I think it's universal, across all zones in whichever programs I want to include.

So it seems like the only control I have is with setting up peak run times, and I can't just water (for instance) outlying established shrubs or semi-naturalized ground cover every two weeks....

UNLESS... can I still run those independent of the Climate Logic if I assign them to Pgm B and include only Pgm A in the CL coverage?

OK, so it feels like I'm talking to myself here, but here's an update:

Byron from Irritrol/ Toro returned my call and was very helpful.

The way this device works is that:

1.) The water days and start times are whatever I set them up to be.

2.) The actual run times are a percentage, based on historical ET plus sensor data, of the peak that I set up.

3.) I can still have my evening start times in B and morning starts in A, or however I want to do it, and assign whichever stations make sense to whichever program I want.

4.) The water restrictions part is for when I want it NOT to water. This device doesn't use a "water window".

5.) There is a water adjust feature, but it's global across all zones. Any tweaking should really be done with the peak run times or water days. The soil type, plant type, slope, etc. are all up to me to figure out when setting those peak run times.

6.) I can exclude either Pgm. B, or Pgms. B + C from the Climate Logic if I wish and they will run as programmed. (For instance, drip to containers under an overhang, new plantings, etc.)

Sorry about the response time here, but you were doing so well on your own.
I believe the CL has non-volatile memory.
When you uploaded the data from the chip they give you it programs in 10 years of ET data for the micro-climate for the area where your customer's property is located. I think in addition to zip code, it also allows long. and lat. input which is even more accurate.
The sensors begin to collect the daily ET data from solar and temps.
And, it has wind average speeds and daily temps in the data you uploaded, so when it's hot and windy the old 'farmers almanac' of data you put in there will work. It is a little unnerving i admit to set this thing up and then go 'presto' it waters!
My understanding of the ABC program thing is it still runs consecutively as to how you program it, so I think you've got a handle on that.